DRAM MAGAZINE

APRIL 2011

ISSN 1470-241X

248

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

CRABBIE’S BACK HIBS • SUPPLIERS SURVEYBROWNS OPENS • AWARDS ENTRY FORM

DD

March whizzed by, and now April looks likedoing the same. At least the weather hasimproved.

The good news is that our Supplier’s Survey thisyear shows that licensees believe that theirservice from suppliers has generally improved. Wecalled more than 350 licensed trade premises,and the feedback, on the whole, was encouraging.Congratulations to Belhaven and Gordon &MacPhail for topping the poll. Jason Caddyreports on the full results on pages 15 and 16. This month I caught up with Dan McGilvray ofAlchemy Inns to get his take on the trade, and findout a bit more about the company which has beensteadily building its portfolio. I also took a trip tosee the new Browns, M&B’s latest addition toGlasgow. Our spirits feature this month is on vodka and gin.It seems that premium gins and vodkas areproving a hit with customers and licensees. Seepages 11 and 12. And of course we have our award pages with allthe categories on pages 23 through to 26.Welcome to two new sponsors Kraken Rum andDunns Food and Drinks. If you haven’t entered yet, please do, andremember you can also enter online.

See you next month.

Editorsusan@mediaworldltd.com

DRAM APRIL 113

CONTENTSApril 2011

A SPIRITUAL EXPEDITIONSusan Young takes a look at what vodkaand gin trends are emerging.

NEWSThe latest news from around the trade.

FEATURES

REGULARS

248

SUPPLIER’S SURVEYJason Caddy reveals how satisfied licenseesare with their suppliers.

15

THE DRAM AWARDS 2011All the sponsored categories and entry form. 23BROWNS CLASSIC LOOKM&B opened its first brasserie in Glasgowearlier this month. DRAM checks it out.

28

ALCHEMY PERFORMS ITS MAGICDan McGilvray is the focus of this month’sMolson Coors interview.

18

05

DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETING

SUE SAYSStraight talking from our very own Editor.30

WELCOME

11

DRAM

Easter came early for Hibs fans when Crabbie’s announcedit had become the official sponsor of Hibernian FC, theEdinburgh based team. It’s the biggest sponsorship

programme to date for the Halewood International brand. Theagreement will see Crabbie’s assume flagship sponsor statuswith immediate effect for the 2011-12 season and thesponsorship will then run through to the 2012/2013 season.The Crabbie’s brand name and logo will be displayed on the firstand reserve teams home and away club strips with the Ladiesand Academy kits featuring the John Crabbie’s branding. John Halewood, Chief Executive of Halewood Internationalcomments, “This sponsorship celebrates Crabbie’s Scottishroots dating back to 1801 and emphasises the scale of ambitionwe have for the brand. This investment in Scottish sport willenable us to leverage our heritage and continue to achieve widescale brand awareness and sales growth across the UK.”Crabbie’s branding will also be displayed in prime locations

around the Hibernian stadium including pitch perimeters, dugouts,TV’s and barriers providing TV exposure via the Scottish Premiership.In addition to this, further benefits include prominent branding in theofficial match programme, and the Club’s website.The Crabbie’s brand has been one of the major success stories of thedrinks industry in recent times having launched Crabbie’s AlcoholicGinger Beer in 2009, which last year according to Datamonitor,became the UK’s biggest seller in the ale category.The brand has also spun off a number of brand extensions into newcategories including John Crabbie’s (non alcoholic) Ginger Beer,Crabbie’s Nuts and a range of non alcoholic mixers.The cover shows Hibs manager Colin Calderwood (left) and Ian Murray(club captain) announce Crabbie’s as the club’s new sponsor.

DRAM APRIL 11 5

NEWSCOVER STORY¬

CRABBIE’S SCORES THREE YEARDEAL WITH HIBERNIAN FC

Allson Wholesale is Scotland's fastest growingindependent wholesaler to the licensed trade.

Supplying the full range of branded beers wines andspirits, as well as our own range of high quality soft drinks,

to pubs clubs and restaurants throughout the country. Due to continued expansion we are now recruiting for

experienced Sales Representatives in the following areas:ABERDEEN, INVERNESS, THE BORDERS, CENTRAL

The successful applicant will be self-motivated,enthusiastic and hungry for success.

In return we offer a package comprising a generous basic with commission, bonuses and company car.

Please apply in writing with CV and covering letter to:

Jillian Robb, Sales ManagerStation Road, Buckhaven Fife KY8 1HJ

SALES REPRESENTATIVES REQUIRED

JOIN THE NO.1 SALES TEAMSource : DRAM Customer Satisfaction Survey 2011

ROYAL WEDDINGAPATHY?The Scottish trade just isn’t getting into the spirit of theRoyal wedding. Only a relatively small number oflicensees have applied for the one-hour extension on29th April.Glasgow City Council has granted a blanket one-hourextension to licensed premises on the Friday evening,but apathy reigns. Edinburgh has made provision for anextra hour, yet just 40 clubs and pubs in the capitalhave applied for the extension. Argyll and Bute, North Lanarkshire and Dundee havereceived no party or licence applications. Stirling hasreceived a request for one extra licence.But there are still a few licensees determined that 29thApril 2011 will not just pass off as just another day.Dundee’s Jonathan Stewart will be applying. “I thinksome premises can use extended hours better thanothers,” he said."Some can remain open longer and not get any busier.Larger places can possibly use them to compete withnightclubs but smaller places I don't think will notice asmuch."The Curlers Rest on Byres Road in Glasgow is also gettinginto the spirit by showing the wedding on big screens.

APRIL 11 DRAM6

SHORTSMacdonald Hotels group has lost abidding war for the management contractof 24 hotels which it sold to Moorfieldearlier this year for £400m. The newowners, Moorfield Real Estate Fund, hasawarded the management contract toFrench hotels operator Accor. The onlyScottish hotel involved in the deal is theArdoe House. Alcohol will once again be available atgarages throughout Scotland following aruling by Lord Eassie at the Court ofSession, that removed the restriction

placed on them by the Licensing (Scotland)Act 2005. This said that only garageforecourts that could show they were themain source of groceries and fuel in acertain area, would be able to continueselling alcohol. Scores of garage forecourtsare expected to apply for liquor licences onthe back of the landmark decision whichruled that decisions to prevent BP/Marks &Spencer’s Simply Food brand from sellingalcohol at forecourts in Glasgow andEdinburgh were wrong and should beoverturned.

German hotel group SteigenbergerHotels is looking into opening hotels inGlasgow and Edinburgh. The group plansto expand its portfolio by up to 15 hotels ayear. It currently owns 80 hotels.Steven Doherty, Managing Directorof the Cook School Scotland, is to leave thebusiness to focus on his core business inCumbria. Steven, has been with the CookSchool since it opened in 2009.Gleneagles hotel suffered a loss of£780K, according to its most recentaccounts for the year to last June. That’s

WWW.DRAMSCOTLAND.CO.UK

NEWSThree years after they sold their company

Creevy LLH to Jones Lang LaSalle, Alan Creevyand Peter Darroch have resigned as part ofJones Lang’s Scottish licensed leisure andhotels team. The Glasgow-based pair areunderstood to be considering setting up a newindependent agency. Meanwhile Blair Morrison,who is the son of well known licensee BlairMorrison, has joined Lambert Smith Hamptonas an associate director to help the companybuild its business in the Scottish licensing andleisure sector.

Martin Wishart is planning to open a new80-cover brasserie concept in Edinburgh aftertaking on the former Tony’s Table bistro in thecapital’s North Castle Street. The newbrasserie, which will also have a bar area, willserve a modern European menu, featuringScottish meat and fish. This is Wishart’s thirdrestaurant but his first brasserie. Joining himin the new venture, as a junior partner, is PaulTamburrini, who will join as head chef fromHotel du Vin’s One Devonshire Gardens, whileSteven Spear from the Three Chimneys on Skyewill lead front of house.

Monifieth’s Panmure Hotel is under newownership. Park Leisure Dundee has taken overthe lease in partnership with hotelier, NedalKaskasoli, for an undisclosed sum. Aspokesman said, "We felt the hotel had falteredover the past six years or so and we wanted tosee it come under local ownership again. Weplan to bring our experience gained through ourother hotel - the Park House Hotel on CouparAngus Road - to the Panmure.”

Leading Scottish pub operatorMaclay Inns has revealed a 26%rise in operating profits to £930K,

and a 1% increase in like for like sales£10.7m for its financial year ending 2ndOctober 2010.Steve Mallon, Managing Director ofMaclay Inns, comments, “2010 was adifficult year for the trade in Scotland.The recession has had a major impacton business however we have continuedto make progress despite this.Underlying pressure on raw materialand labour costs added furtherchallenges to profits, however the wholeteam at Maclay Inns rose to thechallenge and delivered sales growthand cost reductions.”

He continued, “The outlook for 2011remains tough but we are confident thatwe can continue to lead the businessthrough these challenging times and weanticipate a good year ahead of us.Investment in the estate is alsoscheduled in the year ahead withacquisitions planned, which will enhanceearnings in future years.”Maclay operates 26 managed bars andinns across Scotland including the newlyopened DRAM! and the Lansdowne Bar& Kitchen in the West End of Glasgow,The Tullie Inn, Balloch, The Rule, StAndrews, the iconic Three Judges atPartick Cross Glasgow and theClockwork Beer Co in Glasgow’s SouthSide.

STEVE MALLON ¬

MACLAY INNS TOASTS RESULTS

Punch Taverns has reported an improved underlying financial performance in the 28 week period to 5thMarch, with strong growth in managed houses and improving trends in its leased estate. This is despitea statutory loss, after exceptional items, of £325m. Punch said it is now on track to meet full yearexpectations with profit before tax £61m, down from £66m in 2010. The company reported that itsmanaged house estate performed very strongly in the first 28 weeks. Managed like for like sales were up4.9% in the 28 weeks and 8.6% in Q2 with managed operating profits up 12%. However revenue fell by2.9% on a like-for-like basis in the core leased estate and by 6.8% in the non-core.Boss Ian Dyson, said, “We are pleased that our operational initiatives continue to translate into improvedperformance within both the Managed and Leased businesses.” He continued, “Despite the challenging UKconsumer environment, we remain confident of making further progress in the second half of the financialyear. We have had a good start to the third quarter and are on track to meet our full year expectations”.

a substantial increase over last year whenit lost £226K. The decline has been putdown to a sharp downturn in luxuryleisure spending, and a fall in corporateactivities including conferencing andentertaining. Revenue fell by 5% to£33.6m. However owners Diageo arecontinuing to invest in the hotel, with its£2.5m refurbishment of its Dormyclubhouse set to be completed at the endof April. Bulmers is launching a major outdoorcampaign for its latest limited edition

variant Crisp Blend. The outdoorcampaign, comprises six sheet postersfeaturing the limited edition bottlesurrounded by a variety of crisps andrefreshing with the strapline ‘Blended foryour Summer Thirst’.Following the appointments of AlanWardrop and Neil Boyd last year as UKSales Manager and UK CommercialDirector respectively, Ian MacleodDistillers has appointed Danielle Murphyas Business Development Manager(Scotland) to further strengthen its sales

team. The new appointments comefollowing the companies decision to takethe the UK and Ireland distribution of itsportfolio of spirits brands back in-houselast year. Wemyss Malts has appointed ofKaren Stewart as PR and MarketingManager for its portfolio of premiumspirits brands. This currently includes thehand crafted malts whiskies, WemyssMalts, and small batch premium gin,Darnley’s View. Karen was formerly withThe Glenmorangie Company.

DRAM APRIL 117

CAPTAIN MORGAN ¬

Eleven pubs in Dumfries will lose anhour from the beginning of Mayfollowing a change in local licensing

policy. The Board decided to curb openinghours after the local trade forum backedpolice advice with regard to new hours.Although 11 establishments have lost anhour, 10 others have been allowed to keeptheir extra hour. The losers include Pleuchie’sHowff, Townhouse Hotel, Broons, Why Not,The Barrel, Coach and Horses, The Lyver,Slipstream, Robert the Bruce, and DumfriesRugby Football Club. They will now close at1am. While nightclubs including– Chancers,Jumpin Jaks and The Venue – all retain their3am licence. The Easterbrook Hall, CairndaleHotel, The Granary, Queensberry Hotel, and102 Club are among those that have not lostan hour. Andy MacKinnon of The Barrel in Dumfriestold DRAM, “It’s ridiculous, and there’snothing we can do about it. It’s not just the

fact that we have lost the hour, which willreally cost us at the weekends, but I amconcerned people might by-pass usaltogether because they know we only opentill 1am.” He continued, “I’ve been runningthis pub for 17 years with no trouble, andI am heavily rated. I have Sky in to attractcustomers but we are just not big enoughto put in a dance floor and have liveentertainment, which appears to be thecriteria for the extra hour. If everyone hadtheir hours curtailed by an hour I could seethe point, but at the end of the day thisruling is not going to affect the number ofpeople who go out in Dumfries. It’s justthat they will be going elsewhere to enjoytheir last hour out. It is sickening.” He alsowarned other licensees around the countryto watch out. He said, “This ruling onlyapplies to Dumfries at the moment, butother licensing boards could follow suit.”

PUB HOURS GET SLASHED

FACELIFT FOR BRIDGEINN AT RATHO

Visitors to the Bridge Inn atRatho, at the Union Canal, Ratho,will see a few changes. A new barhas been put in, where theoriginal bar was years ago, andowners Rachel and GrahamBucknall have also added fourguest bedrooms. In fact theywelcomed their very first hotelguests earlier this month. Explains Graham, “We took over in2010, but wanted to have a yearof full-trading under our beltsbefore we made any changes.Now we have just re-opened thepub and created a cosy andintimate bar area, which isattractive to both locals andvisitors. We’ve also developed ourterrace, and it now runs the wholeside of the building and gives agreat view of the canal, ourbedrooms are now finished andnow we are the process ofcompleting the revamp of therestaurant, which should becompleted in early May. I’mdelighted with the progress so far.”

Captain Morgan’s Spiced is the new name for Morgan’s Spiced and the new branding will be in bars from June.The liquid remains the same, but owner Diageo want to bring the name in line with its global branding. Diageomarketing plans for Scotland will include Facebook and Twitter, plus the odd personal appearance by CaptainMorgan himself, and his Morganettes (pictured). There’s also a £2.5M national TV campaign in the pipeline,with the slogan, ‘Got a little Captain in you’ Morgan’s Spiced marketing manager, Ali Wilkes, told DRAM“Scotland is very important to us and the brand, as it has helped us to drive growth, so we have to look afterit. We are going to be concentrating lots of activity north of the border, including in-bar events, sampling andpromotions.” The total UK marketing spend for 2011/12 will be £7m, across both the on and off trades.

APRIL 11 DRAM8

BAR NEWS

EXCLUSIVE TO THE ON TRADE, DESIGNED FOR MIXING

For more information on stocking with FREE POS

Call 01246 216000 Quote DRAM

EXCLUSIVE TO THE ON TRADE, DESIGNED FOR MIXING

Rahul and Bubbles Randev must be the most prolific licensees in East Dunbartonshire. Theyhave just opened their third outlet in Lenzie, Rasoi Indian Restaurant & Deli, at the MillersneukShopping Centre. Their existing Lenzie businesses include Carriages and Irrocco, which arelocated at Millersneuk too, Tantra in Kirkintilloch, and of course in Bishopbriggs they own theEagle Lodge. This latest addition is a contemporary take on an Indian restaurant. The term Rasoi meanskitchen, where the family come together to chat, relax and eat. And restaurant manager AllanGray is hoping the new restaurant, which also offers cocktails and a large wine offering, willprove a hit with locals who want to do just that. He says, “Indian cooking isn't just about simplecurries. Here at Rasoi we hope to show our customers how bright and vibrant Indian cuisinecan be. We are also offering a takeaway service, which will also allow customers to have thedining out experience in their own homes.” This take-away service also allows customers to order from a selection of more than 40 wines,to accompany their food.

NEW RESTAURANT FOR RANDEV’S

Tony Crolla’s La Favorita has become the firstpizzeria in Scotland to be awarded a uniquecertificate ‘The Marchio Ospitalita Italiana’from the Italian Chamber of Commerce for itsuse of genuine Italian food and drink products,and its friendly and relaxed diningatmosphere, usually associated with the topItalian pizzerias.Only four venues across the UK were awardedthe certificate, which literally translates as

‘Italian Hospitality Trade Mark’, which acts as amark of excellence for Italian restaurantsoutside of Italy and of these four La Favoritawas the only venue in Scotland to be chosen. Says Tony Crolla, “Here at La Favorita we havealways known that our pizzas are the bestoutside of Italy and now that we have thisaward we are able to say so with completeconfidence – it is something that our staff andalso our customers can be proud of.”

Edinburgh boutique hotel, Number 10, hasbeen sold for around £5m. The newowner is Asian luxury hotel company the

Shanti Hospitality Group. It’s the company’s firstinvestment in the UK market. The 30-bedroom hotel, on Gloucester Place,which occupies two Georgian townhouses, wassold by owner Louise Koch Leonard, who said,"I have loved every moment of building andtransforming Number 10 into a wonderfulhotel. My team of staff have all been excellentbut will remain totally committed to the newowners. I do, however, have various otherprojects in Scotland and abroad and I know thatthe new owners will continue to run the hotel ina 5-star manner and I genuinely wish them allthe very best for the future."

Knight Frank partner David Reid, who handledthe sale, said, “It just goes to show that thevery top end of the property market is stillactive and when a prime hotel with outstandingprofitability and immaculately presented comesto the market, there are still buyers,particularly from London and overseas." Shanti Hospitality Group Director BhanuChoudhrie commented "We are very excited tobe entering the UK hospitality market in 2011and expect 2012 to be an interesting year forUK tourism off the back of the Olympic Gamescoming to London today. Today, foreign anddomestic tourism to Edinburgh is strong, and webelieve that summer 2012 will witness an influxof foreign visitors which will spring-board thisinspiring capital into an even stronger position.”

NUMBER 10 SOLD FOR £5M

SEAL OF APPROVAL FOR PIZZERIA McMillan Hotels, the Stranraer-basedfamily, has reduced its pre-tax losses to£6K. The company, which includesGlenapp Castle in Ayrshire, Peebles Hydroand Cally Palace Hotel at Gatehouse ofFleet, as well as a few others, sawturnover fall 5.1% to £10.7m for the yearto May 31, 2010. Although averageoccupancy rates at its hotels dropped2.6%, spend per guest increased by2.1%. The hotel group also suffered arevaluation to £19.35m in its freeholdproperty assets. This meant that the netbook value of its properties fell by £1.8mduring the course of the year. However thecompany continued to invest in its estate.

Mariott International will open its first Residence Inn hotel in Edinburgh inOctober at the Quartermile development. The 107-room Residence Inn willbe operated under a management agreement with Gladedale Ventures. It willbe only the second Residence Inn in Europe.

1

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A SP R TUALEXPED T ON

Despite a tough economic climate, one area, it seems,consumers are not prepared to cut back on is their thirst forpremium drinks, and that includes vodka and gin. They might

have moved from shopping at trendy boutiques to Primark, butthey are prepared to spend more on a premium spirit at the bar.It appears that far from trading down in their favourite pubs andbars, consumers are actually trading up, and although volumes ofsome spirits have dropped, the value of the individual categoriesare holding steady. In fact some industry insiders, althoughreluctant to tempt fate, believe that the last fewyears of spirit decline, could be on the wane.Certainly the decline has slowed. The white spirit brands that have been hit hardestare Glen’s and Red Square, both value brands.Smirnoff has increased its share of the market inScotland from 58.3% to 66.5%, at their expense. This is good news for licensees – if consumers areprepared to pay more for a quality product there’smore of a profit in it for them too. And it’s not justpublicans with stylish city centre outlets that aretaking advantage of the trend, it appears there ismore of a demand for premium brands right acrossthe board. The two groups which sell more vodka than anyother in Scotland are CPL and Carlo Citti’s empire,which includes student haunt Campus and Club528. Says Carlo, “We’re been very steady when itcomes to vodka sales. We sell around 6,000 casesa year, and that figure hasn’t dropped. Now I amlooking into stocking more luxury brands, becauseour customers are asking for them.”He adds, “I’m talking about the likes of brands likeGrey Goose, and we’ve started selling PatronTequila. Customers are definitely prepared to paymore.”This trend was spotted by research company Mintela few years ago, they said, “British consumers are drinking less buttrading up.” They went on to say consumers were “seekingaspirational brands and drinks connoisseurs seeking lessmainstream brands.” Smirnoff and Gordon’s are without doubt the biggest selling, andmust stocks, behind any bar. Not only has Smirnoff increased itsmarket share, to its highest ever, its volumes too have increased,but Gordon’s now commands 66.6% of the Scottish market. Thatmeans that two out of every three pubs stocks both brands. Smirnoff has been pushing the Smirnoff’s Nightlife Exchange,where the world swaps nights, and it landed in Edinburgh lastmonth with the best of Miami’s Nightlife taking over The CityNightclub. Says Lynn Kelly, who attended on behalf of DRAM,“What a great night. Everyone got sunglasses and there were

some great cocktails on offer. The music too was very in-keepingwith the age group. They did it really well.” Smirnoff has also been heavily promoting Smirnoff flavours, to thetune of £10m. Says Carlo Citti, “I’ve definitely noticed customersshowing an interest in the flavours, but it hasn’t impacted on ourusual vodka sales.” It’s one of area that looks set to develop butwith flavours still accounting for less than 1% of the market, it maybe in growth, but they have a long way to go.But the marketeers are pushing hard to drive trial of all three

flavours and educate consumers on the best way todrink flavoured vodka. Research shows that 75% of18-29 year olds surveyed are aware of SmirnoffFlavours and more than half of that group havetried it.Flavours apart, vodka has got more interesting oflate because of the interest in more premiumspirits. However, the one group that is not taking tovodka remains top end bartenders. They are stillpunting the rum rhetoric. It seems that they cannotfind much to talk about when it comes to vodka.That might change now that Belvedere hasappointed two vodka ambassadors in Scotland. Tothe West Mark Tracey has taken on the role whilein the East it’s Charlie Blackwell of Hamilton’s thattakes on the job. And while industry experts arereluctant to criticise top end bartenders, they dobelieve that some are hypocritical. Said one, “Theyare happy to go in for cocktail competitionssponsored by mainstream brands, but when itcomes to championing them they become spiritsnobs.”He continues, “Great bartenders understand theircustomers, and don’t try and change their attitudesto a brand by not stocking it, or talking it down.There has to a balance between what the bartenderthinks their customer should drink, and what the

customer wants to drink. One of the reasons that vodka is sopopular is that it is clear and mixable, the very reasons that somebartenders hold against it. And really the volume of vodka that wedrink speaks for itself.”There has always been a plethora of vodka brands in the Scottishmarket, mainly because vodka is really our national drink, and overthe years brands have come and gone. But whereas in the pastlicensees in the central belt were the main stockists of premiumbrands, that is changing, as more and more licensees realise thattheir customers are more knowledgeable about spirits than theyhave ever been, and that they are prepared to pay more for a qualityproduct. And with more profit to be made from premium and super-premium brands, it’s a ‘win-win’ for both licensees and theircustomers.

DRINKS FEATURE BY SUSAN YOUNG

BARTENDERS MAY LOVE TO PONTIFICATE ABOUT RUM, BUT IT’S VODKA THATCONSUMERS HAVE A LOVE AFFAIR WITH. THE DRAM TAKES A LOOK AT WHAT’SHAPPENING IN THE WHITE SPIRITS CATEGORY IN SCOTLAND.

DRAM APRIL 1111

Says Fraser McGuire, On Trade Sales Director for Whyte &Mackay, “Numerous bars are now offering up premium or nichespirits as part of their repertoires. Premium vodkas can be agreat addition to any back bar, providing that the range matchesthe type and the general spend of the clientele.“As with mainstream vodkas, there are a host of premium and nichebrands out there - right from traditionalvodka to flavoured varieties – so the keyis to choose brands that people know(say Belvedere or Grey Goose) andidentify with, or a brand which will addsomething different or unique to a drink.One such brand is Pinky as it hasdistinctive flavour brought about by itsdistillation in 12 different botanicals,which can give a lift or twist to traditionalcocktails or simple serves or can be usedas a tool for a bartender to create aninnovative cocktail. It’s also the onlybrand out there specifically targeted atwomen with it’s pink colour and uniquetaste, which will intrigue customerswhom have not seen the product before.”He continues “Another brand with agreat talking point is the super-premiumSnow Leopard vodka which is dubbedthe ‘spirit with a soul’ because a percentage of every bottle soldgoes towards helping save the Snow Leopard from extinction.Having a brand like Snow Leopard also gives the bartendersomething to talk about with consumers as there is a story behindthe brand. ”He concludes, “There are so many different vodkasavailable and I think in general the consumer is less educated aboutthe differences between brands and that is something bartenderscould start to change. It may just prove the catalyst for themmoving from a mainstream vodka up to a premium/niche vodka.”The prevalence of brands such as Belvedere, Grey Goose, Finlandiaand Ketel One has certainly increased, and now that Hangar Oneis being distributed by Marblehead in Scotland, expect to see moreof it too, but it’s on the gin front where the difference has beenmost obvious. Hendrick’s definitely started the gin revolution and in fact was oneof the first to appoint a bartender in Scotland as a brandambassador in the shape of Jason Scott. He now is a co-owner inEdinburgh’s Bramble and The Saint, but back then he successfullyhelped launch Hendrick’s. Although Hendrick’s, Caorunn and The Botanist are hailed asScottish gins, if truth be known some 80% of vodka and gin isproduced in Scotland… in fact the gin industry helps supportroughly one in 50 jobs in Scotland) the difference is that Hendrick’sand The Botanist are owned by Scottish companies, while Caorunnis marketed as a Small Batch Scottish Gin, which demonstrates mynext point. People now talk about gin, the way they talk aboutwhisky and they are being made by whisky distillers. Small-batch,

premium gins – typically 1000 litres or fewer – are being made byWhisky distillers - Caorunn is produced at the Balmenach Distilleryin Speyside, while in Islay, the Bruichladdich Distillery launched theisland’s first gin last year – The Botanist. It’s already outselling itswhisky and this, the first ever Islay gin, boasts 22 native Islaybotanicals, as well as another nine. Meanwhile Stirling-based VC2

brands launched Boe Superior Gin in2009. Says David Urquhart JointManaging Director of Gordon &MacPhail, “We now stock over 30 ginsand niche brands such as The Botanist,which we distribute, are doing verywell.” It definitely helps a spirits profile to havea bartender extolling the virtues of thebrand. Super-premium gin MartinMiller’s Gin – now a firm favourite withbar tenders and gin connoisseurs, andone of the most awarded gins around,was originally championed by Scotsbartender Craig Harper, and now MikePulvertaft has taken over the mantle.The man behind the brand, MartinMiller, has wide ranging interests fromhotels to antiques, and Martin Miller’s

Gin is just one of his many pastimes.While new kid on the block, Caorunn, is championed by bartenderErvin Trykowski from the Ivy in Glasgow. No.3 London Dry gin is one of the newer premium gins to hit themarket. It’s produced by Berry Bros. & Rudd Spirits Ltd and saythe company, “No.3 unashamedly celebrates the integrity andcharacter of traditional London Dry Gin.” While Geraldine Coates,the Scots author of The Mixellany Guide to Gin, said, “No.3 is a verywelcome addition to the gin scene.” The company hope that No.3will be at the heart of the finest Dry Martinis in the mostprestigious establishments. What has become clear over the last few years is that cheap brandsin the on-trade are on a hiding to nothing. Pubs that have marketedthemselves as place to drink cheaply, are the ones that are struggling.After all, supermarkets can always beat a pub when it comes to price.The offering has to include so much more and consumers are lookingfor quality brands, a nice environment, food and customer service, aswell as entertainment and added value incentives. Says David Urquhart, “When you walk into a pub today you are not seeing‘cheapest on display’. Thirty years ago it was the norm, but consumersare voting for quality brands and the image is important too.”This is something that Glen’s vodka is finding to its cost. Despitethe fact that in a recent World Vodka Taste Challenge organised byRevolution, which blind taste tested 16 vodkas from Glen’s right upto the super-premiums, Glen’s came in at number two, beating thelikes of Grey Goose and Belvedere! It was only superceded byStolichnaya… now if I was the marketing guru behind Glen’s I wouldbe seriously considering rebranding and sticking the price up!

ERVIN TRYKOWSKI

DRINKS FEATURE BY SUSAN YOUNG

APRIL 11 DRAM12

A SP R TUALEXPED T ON

DRAM APRIL 1113

APRIL 11 DRAM14

CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBERS

Aberdeen: 01224 896826 • Alloa: 01259 728510 • Dumfries: 01387 259466 • Dunbar: 01368 862323

www.belhaven.co.uk

‘The team at Belhaven are proud

and delighted to be rated as

Scotland’s best beer supplierfor the third year running.

It is a tremendous accolade for

us and we really appreciate your

recognition of our efforts.

We are constantly trying to

improve the service that we

offer you and will continue

to focus all of our efforts into

delivering the very best for

you in the future.

Thank you from all of us for your

loyalty and support.’

SALES REPS 94 84 84 75 75

TELESALES 94 88 86 85 80

DELIVERY TIMES 100 89 86 84 91

PRODUCT RANGE 87 83 82 84 77

PROMOTIONS 77 70 70 75 66

OVERALL 2011 90 83 82 81 78

SCORES 2010 90 79 85 78 80

DRAM APRIL 11 15

From the remotest pub on the UK mainland to city centre outletswith multi-million pound turnovers, 100 independent licenseeskindly took part in our 2011 annual suppliers’ survey. Aside from the task in hand, it’s always a good excuse to speakto licensees about their wider business. Generally speaking thereis a sense of optimism, considering the economic climate, and agenuine appreciation for the dedication shown on the part of allthe people at the end of the phone and in the field.The DRAM called licensees, more than 300 in total, 100 ofwhom responded, and asked them to rate both their beer andspirit/wine suppliers in terms of customer satisfaction, using ascale between one and five, with five being the top score and onebeing the lowest. The five areas that they were asked to ratewere sales rep, telesales, delivery, product range andpromotions. The two areas that undoubtedly caused the most deliberationwere sales rep and the dreaded promotions. Licensees said thatmany sales reps, while perfectly competent in the main, were alittle thin on the ground, to put it mildly. Some complained aboutseeing sales rep less and less frequently, to seeing him or herhardly ever, if at all. A few even said they had never had thepleasure at all. Less reps covering bigger and bigger areas wasthe main concern shared by most licensees.Looking at the results, for the third consecutive year, Belhavencame out as top beer supplier, with an overall 90% satisfactionrating, as in 2010. Belhaven continues to stand head and shoulders above thecompetition, and many licensees spoke with great respect for

this company, and the results really do speak for themselves,with a 94% satisfaction rating for both its sales reps andtelesales, and a whopping 100% for delivery times. In fact,Belhaven outperformed all the other brewers in all five areas. Shelagh Bryce, Belhaven’s Director of Customer Service, said,“We are incredibly proud and delighted to receive this accoladefor the third year running. On behalf of my colleagues atBelhaven, I would like to thank our customers who have shown ussuch support and appreciation and, also, to our staff for theirloyalty and dedication. Our focus is to continually improve theservice we offer to our customers and the Belhaven team workextremely hard to achieve this so it is very rewarding when ourefforts are recognised in such a way. We are particularly pleasedto acknowledge the high rating received by our distribution teamswho coped so stoically during one of the most dreadful winterswe can remember.”At 78% Tennent’s satisfaction rating dropped by 2%, as didMolson Coors, down 3%, but Carlsberg is up 3%. Heineken alsoshowed an increase of 4%, from 79% to 83%.Heineken came in at second place, up from fourth place in lastyear’s survey, with promotions gaining the lowest satisfactionrating. Said Kerry Sinclair at the Steamboat in Lossiemouth, “Iam really pleased with Heineken, but the promotions could dowith a shake up, and be made more relevant to different types oflicensee.”Molson Coors dropped one place into third position, and itsoverall satisfaction rating dropped from 85% to 82%. A fewlicensees pointed out that much of their ordering was now done

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN, WHEN THERE’S A SIZABLE INCREASE IN THE DRAM’SPHONE BILL, AS WE GAUGE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION LEVELS WITH THEIR SUPPLIERSIN OUR ANNUAL LICENSEES SURVEY.

HAT-TRICK FORSCOTLAND’S TOP2BY JASON CADDY

BEER SUPPLIERS : SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTS 2011

HAT-TRICK FORSCOTLAND’S TOP2

SALES REPS 94 95 83 84 86 79 57 72

TELESALES 89 98 80 80 82 84 83 74

DELIVERY TIMES 97 90 92 76 88 88 93 69

PRODUCT RANGE 100 85 90 84 85 86 83 75

PROMOTIONS 91 83 67 84 66 64 77 66

OVERALL 2011 94 90 82 82 81 80 79 71

SCORES 2010 89 87 87 83 80 85 82 81

APRIL 11 DRAM16

online, and Molson Coors’ online operation, particularly, wassingled out several times for high praise for its efficiency.Coming in at fourth place was good news for Carlsberg, whichended up final place last year, and its satisfaction score was alsoboosted by 3%, to 81%. Although customers weren’t as satisfiedwith its sales reps, but there was also praise. “I can’t praise theCarlsberg draymen enough. They are phenomenal,” said GailGardner at the Beehive in Edinburgh.Tennent’s overall customer satisfaction rating fell by 2%, to 78%.Perhaps this reflects a transitional period for the brewer, withthe acquisition of Magners. A few licensees also highlighted thatthere was room for improvement in its promotions’ offering.It was a also a hat-trick win for wine and spirits, with Gordon &MacPhail retaining last year’s lead, making this its third winningyear in a row, with an amazing overall satisfaction rating of 94%,up from last year’s 89%. Like Belhaven, Gordon & MacPhail alsohit the top spot in one of the categories, scoring 100% forproduct range. Said David Urquhart, Joint Managing Director at Gordon &MacPhail, “Winning this award three years in a row is terrifictestament to all the team at Gordon & MacPhail, who continuallystrive to support our customers and deliver the highest qualitycustomer service. We are committed to adapting and developingour business and our portfolio of whiskies, spirits, wine andbeers to meet the needs of our customers in such a changingmarket. On behalf of the Directors at Gordon & MacPhail, I thankour customers and staff for their ongoing support.”Considering the rest of the results, most of the wine and spiritratings were down on last year, with the exception of Gordon &MacPhail, Allsons and Forth Wines.

Relative newcomer Allsons retained second place, with an overallsatisfaction rating of 90%, up a healthy 3% on last year’ssatisfaction rating. Third place was jointly held by Dunns and Wallaces Express.Dunns’ overall satisfaction rating fell by 1%, but it climbed fromfifth place last year. Wallaces Express, however, dropped from87% to 82%. Forth Wines rose from last place in 2010 to fourth place this year,with an overall satisfaction score of 81%, up 1% on last year.Wm Morton came in fifth and its satisfaction rating overall was80%, down 5% on last year. Waverley held on to sixth place, but its satisfaction rating fellfrom 82% to 79%.Matthew Clark went from second-last to last place, although itsoverall customer satisfaction rating fell by 10%, from 81% to71%. A lot of the criticism focused on a distinct lack of personalcontact from the Matthew Clark sales reps.Along with sales rep, promotions also caused a bit of dismay andbafflement. Said Debbie McGregor at the Cross Keys in Kippin, “Ithink that the promotions are mostly geared towards big sportsbars and nightclubs. I don’t really feel that they cater for smaller,independent licensees like myself.” And Linda Miles fromGlasgow’s Velvet Elvis, said, “A lot of the marketing bumf I getthrough is completely irrelevant to our business. Having saidthat, the telesales girls (Wm Morton and Belhaven) areexcellent.”All in all, this survey has been a triumph for Scottish-ownedbusinesses. And perhaps the recipe for success boils down to agood old-fashioned personalised service, and relevantpromotions.

WINE & SPIRIT SUPPLIERS : SATISFACTION SURVEY RESULTS 2011

DRAM APRIL 1117

APRIL 11 DRAM18

ALCHEMY INNS CONTINUES TO BUILD ITS ESTATE. SUSAN YOUNGCAUGHT UP WITH OPERATIONS DIRECTOR, DAN MCGILVRAY.

ALCHEMY PERFORMSIT’S MAGIC ON THE TRADE

When I first interviewed Tommy McMillanthe man behind Alchemy Inns back in2005 he had 17 pubs under his wing.

Today the estate has grown to more than thirty,and heading up the operations side is DanMcGilvray, who has worked with Tommy since2005. There is no doubt Alchemy Inns is one ofScotland’s success stories. But as Dan explains,“A few years ago, in the good times, nobody paidattention to us because we weren’t glamorous atall, but that has held us in good stead. We havedefinitely found our niche –we are very strong locally,and I think that is the waythe trade is moving.” In 2009 the company wasturning over £4m, thisincreased to £5.5m in2010 and by the end ofthis year the company is ontrack to achieve £6m. Around 20 of Alchemy’spubs are leased out and thecompany has a financialinterest in another tenlicensed trade premises from golf clubs to socialclubs as well as popular Falkirk bar, Behind theWall. The first pub that owner Tommy McMillanbought was The Clachan in Shieldhall, Pennies inFalkirk in another one that comes under theAlchemy Inns banner. In fact most of the companiespubs lie within a half hour drive of each other. Dan joined Alchemy Inns after he had done hisMBA thesis on the company. He tells me, “Afterleaving University, with a History and Politicsdegree…I started as a merchandiser with CocaCola in Ireland. A few years later I came back toScotland and joined Matthew Clark Brands whichthen became Matthew Clark Wholesale, and I leftthere in 2004 to do a full-time MBA at EdinburghUniversity.”

He continues, ‘I wanted to expand my knowledge.Tommy had been a customer at Matthew Clark,and I since I had an interest in the supply chainand logistics, Alchemy Inns seemed the perfectchoice for my MBA thesis. After the MBA insteadof taking up a post in Dubai, it also seemed theright choice to join the company.”One of his original roles at Alchemy Inns was toimprove efficiencies, and they did this when theycreated Central Warehousing. Says Dan, “CentralWarehousing offers tenants and customers aone-stop-shop. We work with the likes of Molson

Coors and other keydrinks companies. Wetake delivery of thestock centrally and wenegotiate the price, dothe credit control anddistribute from ourcentral base. Thebusiness is structuredso that it can meet thetime windows of ourtenants. We also meetbrand owners andnegotiate marketing

support, which is also then passed onto ourtenants, for example point of sale and t-shirts.“We have a very good relationship with all oursuppliers and brand representatives. They arevery pro-active supporters. This is moreimportant than it used to be when it comes tooutlet support, it helps give our pubs a point ofdifference. For instance branded glassware andsmart fonts.”“As well as having our own pubs, we also supplycustomers primarily low volume outlets likebowling and golf clubs. But we haven’t gone outlooking for business, it usually come to us, byword of mouth.” Dan tells me that he believes much of the successof Alchemy Inn is due to the fact that they “are not

LICENSEE INTERVIEW

“WE ALSO BELIEVE INOFFERING ADDED VALUE TOOUR CUSTOMERS. WE HELPTHEM WITH BUSINESSPLANS, HELP THEM WORKOUT WHERE THEY CAN SAVEMONEY, AND PUT THEM INTOUCH WITH OTHERBUSINESSES THAT CAN HELPTHEM.”

DAN MCGILVRAY,ALCHEMY INNS

DRAM APRIL 1119

APRIL 11 DRAM20

too greedy.” He explains, “It’s important that ourtenants do well, so we don’t charge expensiverents and we do give them reasonable discounts.We give them more, and make less. We’ve neverlost a tenant.”He continues, “We also believe in offering addedvalue to our customers. We help them withbusiness plans, help them work out where theycan save money, and put them in touch with otherbusinesses thatcan help them.They can also getthrough to usseven days aweek, with thesimplest problemor with a technicalservice issuesuch as aproblem with afont.”As well as CentralWa r e h o u s i n g ,Alchemy also has aSecurity Company,and AlchemyRacing, a bookies.Says Dan, “We setup the SecurityCompany becauseour tenants kepttelling us aboutproblems they were having with door staff. Andalthough it was only set up last year it is alreadyshowing promise.”The company is also looking to expand its pubgroup, but says Dan, “I’m really glad we didn’t growtoo fast. In 2006/2007 we were being offered alot of money to expand, and we didn’t accept. I’mglad of that now, because we wouldn’t want to beservicing that loan now. But we do currently havefunds to expand, as well as a good relationshipwith the Clydesdale Bank. If pubs come up at theright price, then we might buy them. Peopleparticularly the brewers, were over paying andbanks were feeding the frenzy, but people aremore realistic about prices now. We also prefer tobuy pubs that could also be re-developed, and weare not scared to take that decision.”

Dan spends a lot of time visiting his tenants, andall Alchemy Inns pubs are spoken for. I asked whyhe thought his tenants were coping well in thecurrent economic climate. He told me, “Most of them realise that they needto be offering entertainment whether it’s karaokeor darts, people don’t just come out for a drink.Customers expectations are greater, and quiterightly so, But our tenants work hard, and know

what appeals totheir customerbases. They arealso prepared tolisten to advice,and do offersomething thattheir localsupermarket can’t– offer a goodatmosphere, andof course, food.”He adds, “Food asbecome muchmore important.Mind you eventhat is underthreat fromsupermarkets ,who now offerspecialist pubmeals. I thinks u p e r m a r k e t s

saw the turnover of the pub market a few yearsago and thought ‘I want some of that.’Supermarkets are definitely our biggestcompetition, not other operators. In fact we havea good relationship with most of the otheroperators in Falkirk, we try and work together, infact the whole trade should try and work together.I would like to see a generic promotionalcampaign, and certainly we would support adedicated Pub Week

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APRIL 11 DRAM22

dramawards

2o11mardi gras

20th JUNE, 2011

THE DRAM AWARDS ARE ALSO SUPPORTED BY

BENROMACH AWARD FOR SUCCESSSsshare the secret of your success with this year’s DRAM judges to pick up this accolade. Whether you’vesuccessfully continued your family business, successfully expanded over the past few years, adopted innovationto develop your business, or have grown your turnover, we would love to know what you think your secret is.This award is open to hoteliers, restaurateurs and licensees… ssshare your secret with us. Enter now withdetails.

BII TRAINING AWARDThis award is aimed at rewarding licensees who embrace training. It is crucial that all staff are trained, and theBII is looking for the company or individual who demonstrates training excellence, and the effective use ofresources to achieve measurable results. Do you believe in getting the best out of your staff through training?If so you could be eligible for this award.

REPERTOIRE BEST OUTSIDE AREADo you think you have the best outdoor area in Scotland? Are your customers delighted with the effort you haveput in to ensure that when they drink outside the surroundings are just perfect. Whether it is an outsideterrace, smoking area or dining area, we are looking for the most attractive place to enjoy a drink al fresco.Enter now.

GASTRO PUB OF THE YEARIt has never been more important to offer your customers good food. It doesn’t have to be fine dining, but quality,freshly prepared pub grub is what our judges will be on the look out for. It’s not the size of your menu that will gainyou marks but the quality of the food and the efficiency of the service. If you think you have great food on offer inyour pub, let us know. Enter now.

MIXXIT BAR APPRENTICE OF THE YEARMixxit have devised a bartender apprentice programme which is now in its fourth year. They select bartendersfrom throughout Scotland to take part in this mentoring programme which includes cocktail training, bar skillsand product knowledge. In June the selected nominees (10 in total) will face a panel of judges, and the bestperforming bartender will win the accolade Mixxit Bar Apprentice of the Year, which will be announced at theDRAM Awards. (Mixxit is the trading and educational programme of Maxxium UK).

GLENMORANGIE WHISKY BAR OF THE YEARGlenmorangie, one of Scotland’s best loved malts, is looking for a bar that is worthy of the accolade GlenmorangieWhisky Bar of the Year. The judges will be looking for licensees that go to extraordinary lengths to promoteScotch whisky within their own establishment. An excellent range of whisky on the back bar is a necessity andstaff should also be well trained and enthusiastic when it comes to recommending whisky to their customers. Agood Scottish welcome is also important. Do you think that your bar deserves the accolade? If so enter now.

THE KRAKEN RUM COCKTAIL BAR OF THE YEARDo you think that you have the best cocktail bar in Scotland? Are your bartenders well trained, imaginative andgood with customers? The judges will be looking for expertly made cocktails, a willingness to experiment and agood knowledge of spirits, including rum. Tell us why you think you are the best cocktail bar and include a recipefor a cocktail featuring The Kraken Rum. How would you unleash the Beast.

DRAM

CAPTAIN MORGAN’S SPICED AWARD FOR BEST LATE NIGHT VENUECan customers discover their party spirit at your bar or venue? Do you open late, and provide great entertainmentin a safe environment? Is your venue a favourite haunt of customers that like to stay up past the golden hour? Agreat atmosphere, a good range of spirits, and a good looking venue are all essential if you want to win one of thisyear's top awards the Captain Morgan’s Spiced Award for Best Late Night Venue. Bars eligible would have to beopen past midnight.

MOLSON COORS CHAMPION IN INDUSTRYMolson Coors is looking for an individual or group who qualifies for its new Champion in Industry Award. To beeligible you have to demonstrate that you are a ‘champion’ in all areas of the licensed trade. It’s not just aboutrunning a successful business, but a passion and commitment to developing all areas of your business is essentialtoo. Do you have a great team? Do you champion beer and can you demonstrate that you have a passion for the beerindustry? Do you excel at enhancing your customers experience in your outlet and actively drive footfall? Are youknowledgeable on legislation? It’s a challenging industry and Molson Coors is looking for a ‘Champion’? Enter now.

STRONGBOW MANAGER OF THE YEARStrongbow, Scotland’s biggest selling draught cider, is on the lookout for Scotland’s top manager. Do you put the‘hard graft’ in to ensure that your bar or pub is a success, or do you know someone who does? Strongbow willgive the honour to the manager who has the strongest work ethic, and who can demonstrate the difference thathe or she has made to the business. If you think you, or someone that you know, deserves the award, pleaseenter now.

SUNDAY MAIL PUB OF THE YEARScotland’s leading Sunday newspaper is looking for the best pub in the country. Do you have a welcomingatmosphere? Do your customers come back, and come back again? Get your customers to fill in the entry formwhen it appears in the Sunday Mail and tell us why you think you are eligible for ‘Pub of the Year’.

TENNENT’S QUALITY AWARDA dedication to quality has helped to make Tennent’s Lager the No 1 Scottish brand - and Tennent’s is lookingfor a pub that is also dedicated to quality. Excellent customer service, great beer, a good range of productsbehind the bar, fine food and a great ambience would all be part of the quality experience. If you think youdeserve this accolade enter now.

URBAN REALM AWARD FOR BEST DESIGNUrban Realm, Scotland’s leading architecture and design magazine is looking for Scotland's best designedlicensed trade outlet. Judges will be looking at the creativity involved, best use of space and innovative touches.Is your bar, restaurant or hotel, worthy of the accolade. If so enter now with accompanying photography.Outlets have to have opened or refurbished since June 2009.

REKORDERLIG NEW BAR OF THE YEARDoes your venue offer the best in customer service? Does your drinks range show a creative edge and have a premium offering?Are you independently owned? Did you open after June 2010? If you can answer yes to all of the above then we would like tohear from you! Your venue could be in with a chance of winning ‘New Bar of the Year’, sponsored by Rekorderlig Cider.Rekorderlig Cider is one of the fastest growing fruit ciders in the marketplace. Proud of its iconic and beautifully Swedish roots,it combines the highest quality ingredients with a clear identity enabling it to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

THE DRAM AWARDS ARE ALSO SUPPORTED BY

APRIL 11 DRAM26

l

entry form

your detailsESTABLISHMENT NAME:

LICENSEE’S NAME:

ADDRESS:

POSTCODE:

TELEPHONE: EMAIL:

RELEVANT INFO:

RETURN THIS FORM AND TELL US WHY YOU DESERVE TO WIN A DRAM AWARD. RETURN THIS WITH ANY RELEVANT INFORMATION & PHOTOGRAPHS TO:MEDIA WORLD LTD, 1 THE STABLES YARD, 1103 ARGYLE STREET, GLASGOW G3 8ND.ALL ENTRIES MUST BE RECEIVED BY TUESDAY 10TH MAY. GOOD LUCK!

BENROMACH AWARD FOR SUCCESS

BII TRAINING AWARD

CAPTAIN MORGAN’S SPICED AWARD FOR BEST LATE NIGHT VENUE

DRAM GASTRO PUB OF THE YEAR

GLENMORANGIE WHISKY BAR OF THE YEAR

KRAKEN RUM COCKTAIL BAR OF THE YEAR

MIXXIT BAR APPRENTICE

MOLSON COORS CHAMPION IN INDUSTRY

REKORDERLIG NEW BAR OF THE YEAR

REPERTOIRE BEST OUTSIDE AREA

STRONGBOW MANAGER OF THE YEAR

SUNDAY MAIL PUB OF THE YEAR

TENNENT’S QUALITY AWARD

URBAN REALM AWARD FOR BEST DESIGN

(PLEASE TICK YOUR CATEGORY OF CHOICE)

THE DRAM AWARDS ARE ALSO SUPPORTED BY

1. Toni Herbert is 21 and works at Edinburgh’s Voodoo Rooms.She is originally from Australia and, although she has worked inbars and restaurants in Adelaide, she is keen to explore all aspectsof the bar industry here. She says, “It is a whole different world,and everyone here is really passionate about the industry. Thiswill help me develop myself.”

2. Easton Boyd is 20 and works at theBlythswood Hotel in Glasgow. He’s beenin the trade for the past year and learnedabout the course from one of the formerapprentices, David Smillie. SaysEaston, “I hope what I learn herewill make me better at my job.”His favourite drink is a beer.

3. David Howie is 20 and works atElliots in Prestwick. He started doingfull-time work last summer. Hehas taken a year out from Unito concentrate on learningabout the trade. He learnedabout the course from David Jannett,another former apprentice and thenhis boss. Says David, “I felt reallyintimidated to beginwith, but it has beenreally informative.So far it has beena very positiveexperience.”

4. Niall Webster is 24, andworks at Bramble inEdinburgh. He has been inthe industry for nine months,and started out at Rick’s. andat Tigerlily while at Uni. Niallcomments, “I didn’t know what to expect of the course. Ithought it might just be about spirits but its also aboutcustomer service too, which suits me because I am interested inpeople.”

5. Mikey Mitchell works at Tigerlily and is 19. He started offwashing glasses for Montpeliers and now has worked his way uphe says ‘to a step above a bartender, but below a mixologist’. Hecomments, “I hope to get more knowledge on this course. The barhere at Maxxium is phenomenal.”

6. India Parry-Williams is 23 and works at Bon Vivant now, althoughshe has spent much of her bar career working in old man’s pubs in

Essex. She has been at Bon Vivant three months and is keen to learnmore. She comments, “I enjoy learning and I was keen to learn, evenbefore I knew it was a competition. I’m also new to Scotland, so this

course has been great for making new friends.”

7. Ami Gillies, who has just turned 21, hasworked in Hamilton’s, Edinburgh for justunder a year. She heard about thecourse from her boss, Colin. Says Ami,“I think this course will build myconfidence. I’m learning why you do

things, which is great, and then we aredoing it.”

8. Jack Blackwell, is only 18, and comesfrom 99 Hanover Street, Edinburgh. He

has only been in the bar trade threemonths. After leaving school he wenttravelling and says he was inspired bywhat he saw in bars in Europe, which is

why he badgered the folk at 99 for a jobwhen he came back. He

describes himself as a ‘geek’and says he loves readingcocktail books. In fact he wonhis first cocktail competition

only three weeks into his firstbar job. Says Jack, “Andy Gemmell is areal inspiration. I want to be like him.”

9. Ian Sanderson is 22 and works at theTiki Bar in Glasgow. He’s been in the trade forthe past four years, but worked mainly back ofhouse. He in fact started out working in a localfive star hotel when he was 15/16. Says Ian,“It’s been very interesting so far. It tells you

why you should be doing things, and what termsmean. For instance people talk about ‘bruising the spirit’, and I’velearned that’s a false claim.” His favourite drink is a Zombie.

10. Jack Halstead is 20 and works at Oloroso in Edinburgh. Hehas been there since last April after leaving Uni in Aberdeen. Hesays of the course, “It’s good fun and really interesting. It certainlyhelps build your confidence.”

11. Gabriela Perna, is 20, and from The Ivy in Glasgow. She hasbeen working in bars since she was 18, when she started atVillager in Edinburgh, while still studying Marine Biology. She findsthe course, “really fun,” and believes it is good for “reinforcing baretiquette.” She says, “I hope what I learn will help make mycustomers experience better.”

DRAM APRIL 1127

THE FACTORBY SUSAN YOUNG

THE MIXXIT BARTENDER APPRENTICE PROGRAMME KICKED OFF THIS MONTH AND WHAT ALIVELY BUNCH OF CANDIDATES THEY ARE. OVER THE NEXT FEW ISSUES WE WILL FOLLOWTHEIR PROGRESS AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE COURSE. SO HERE THEY ALL ARE :-

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

Mitchells & Butler have put their 19th Browns Brasserie intoGlasgow with the opening of possibly the cities largestrestaurant in the G1 building at George Square. M&B took

the 25 year lease on the 9,000 sq ft late last year and have nowcreated a brasserie with 340 covers. There is a signature look when it comes to Browns - brasserie stylefurniture, a large island bar, contemporary lighting, and lots of spaceto eat and drink. Glasgow is no different. Says GM Sarah Fox, “It’s agreat blend of contemporary but classic looks too.”When you walk in you are immediately aware that this brasseriecovers a very large area. The focus is, of course, the bar, which isof the island variety but with a straight edge down the right handbar, which features a mirrored top and fixed lamps with blacklampshades. Along this side of the bar green wicker stools line upto encourage people to eat at the bar. Says Sarah, “The bar experience here is much more than just fordrinks. We want the bar to be interactive and provide acomfortable place to sit and eat too.” Although it is a vast space, the room is broken into various areasusing raised areas, different furniture and mirrored glass. There’s

also a variety of flooring – from the mosaic tiles around the bar, tolight oak which features predominantly, but in the garden roomdownstairs, the floor looks like tiled Italian marble. While the upstairs conforms to the usual Browns look, the areadownstairs, The Garden Room, is a departure from Browns’ usualdesign. It’s also Sarah’s favourite space in the building, she says,“This area has been specifically designed for Glasgow and thedesigners have really utilised the available light and space.”The basement Garden Room only sits 70 people, but its stonewalls, tiled floor, garden pots, and small trees, as well as the glassceiling, do set it apart from the main bar and restaurant.Says Sarah, “We will be serving breakfast down here and alsoafternoon tea. It will be great for that.” Upstairs the Brasserie is classically elegant. Mahogany, brass,mirrored tiles, and distressed picture frames all support theBrasserie-style. The other notable design feature is the differentheights and sizes of tables. From bistro-style mahogany rounds tometal clad mid-height and brass topped posing tables. There is alsoa variety of seating from high wicker stools to leather upholsteredcouches, non-fixed seating and of course fixed seating too.

DESIGN FEATURE BY SUSAN YOUNG

BROWNS’ CLASSIC LOOK

APRIL 11 DRAM28

DRAM APRIL 1129

The brasserie effect is further accentuated by French styledistressed picture frames, but if you look closely some of thepictures themselves are modern black and white images ofGlasgow. There’s also a multitude of mirrors , from the mirroredtiles on the back bar, to the mirrored tiles above various seatingareas, and of course some statement mirrors too – the beautifulpeople will have plenty of opportunity to admire themselves. The lighting is very much along the same lines as the companyhas used around the country. Chandeliers above the bar, and inthe dining areas give that luxurious feel, while smaller, narrower,chandeliers are arranged around the bar. There are also lightswhich look like mini-versions of snooker table lights, which hangabove the posing tables and at various locations around theplace. The main focus point, the bar apart, is a large clock, which takespride of place in the main area, and it also features strongly onBrowns marketing material. There’s also a black grand piano, ona raised plinth, and some hanging vegetations but not a lot. Nodoubt some of the vegetation is still to arrive. Browns certainly delivers when it comes to brasserieexpectations, here’s hoping with 340 covers, Glasgow candeliver when it comes to customers.

APRIL 11 DRAM30

There are some benefits to being a woman… particularly whenit comes to using pub toilets, according to Invernesscustomer Norman Bailey. After feeling "violated and

embarrassed" after a female employee of The King’s Highway, a JDWetherspoons pub, came in and cleaned around him as he wasrelieving himself, he called the police, saying that the samesituation would never be allowed to arise in the women's toilets.He’s right! I can’t believe the toilets are so busy that they can’t waituntil the toilets are empty to send in a female member of staff. ButI actually think the woman deserves a medal for bravery inattempting to clean while the toilets are being used. Is not therenot a health and safety issue? What’s the hazard analysis take onthat? Police officers took a statement but concluded that no crimehad been committed.

The trade has been saying for years that thegovernment’s targets on tourism were wishfulthinking and wildly over-optimistic, now formerChairman of the tourism body VisitScotland,Peter Lederer, has come out publicly and attackedthe "unrealistic" government targets that heclaims plagued his time at VisitScotland. Whattook him so long? He admits the tourismdevelopment body's government-imposed target ofdoubling the size of the industry to achieve a £6.3bnincome by 2015 was merely "aspirational" as it"doesn't control the product.” At last someone in apublic role speaks out and tells it as it is!

I gave a New Year gong to Donald Macleod of CPL whoI said has come of age… he certainly has, he has justbeen appointed chair of Glasgow’s Licensing Forum.Congrats. And of course he tells me he has a specialbirthday this year… The big 50! Carlo Citti, meanwhile has offeredme anything I wish, if I say he is only celebrating his 40th thisyear…again.

Jason Scott and Mike Aikman obviously enjoy running a businesstogether. Their two outlets Bramble and The Saint are still thriving,but that’s not all the two have in common, both are also expectingto become father’s for the first time shortly. At least the two ofthem are used to late nights!

I really like the look of the new Browns in George Square. Glasgowdoesn’t have anything like it. But it is huge – 340 covers. It’scertainly going to give Jamie’s Italian a run for its money.

When is a freeze not a freeze? When the government’s involved. Wasanyone else confused on hearing in the budget… ‘alcohol duty is“frozen”‘… but the escalator wasn’t, which put a further 7.2% on toalcohol duty. In my eyes that’s not a freeze but a squeeze.

Congratulations to Chef Joe Queen of the Hilton, he has just

received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the HospitalityIndustry Trust (HIT). You know you are getting old when a LifetimeAchievement recipient is younger than you are! Either that or heis aging particularly well! I am not surprised that on receiving theaward he said, “Believe you me, people won’t realise just how muchof a shock this is.” However he went on to say, “The hospitalityindustry is a big family and to sit alongside the other names on theaward is something I will remember for the rest of my life.”

Talking of the Glasgow Hilton, General Manager Craig Gardner hasbecome an internet sensation. He made a video of himself dancing,and posted it on YouTube, to raise cash for the Prince and Princess

of Wales Hospice. So far he has had in excess of 8,500hits. Check it out at The Dancing Hotel Manager onYouTube. It shows what a good sport he is.

We kicked off our Mixxit Bartender programme for2011 this month, and what a lively bunch ofcandidates have been put forward. It bodes very wellfor a good session. Already they are enthused. Readall about them on page 27.

My sidekick Lynn Kelly has moved on to pasturesnew, although she will still be working on an ad-hocbasis for the DRAM and our other publications.She’s taking up a role teaching performing arts…her first love. We all wish her all the very best.

I still can not work out why we are recommendingto people that they drink 14 and 21 units. Thesefigures were made up, and that is documented,

yet nobody is doing any research to find out what theactual recommended units should be. Only last week Drinkawarewas saying, "Making sure people know about units and the numberof them in their favourite drinks is an important step to helpingthem keep track of their drinking. And understanding the daily unitguidelines of 2-3 units for women and 3-4 units for men will helppeople make healthy decisions about their drinking which reducetheir risk levels."I think an important step for all the health bodies is to find out whatthe actual figures should be? Are they worried that actually the healthylimit is more? Is that why they don't update the figures, they spendenough cash on research, so why hasn't this been researched?

Last month I received a book from Neil O’Donnell called Memoriesof a Glasgow Pub Stocktaker. It is, of course fictious...but thatdidn’t stop me trying to identify the loosely veiled clients. It really isworth a read. I’d love to interview the Anne of Anne’s Bar, a qualityclient, and one of the old school. It also gives an insight into all thefiddles that go on. A must read for anyone new to the trade, andit reminded me of some of the more obvious issues such as FreeStock, and where it goes. It’s tongue in cheek, and humourous, butthere’s definitely a serious message too.

SUESAYS

DRAM APRIL 1131

0870 24 24 608

PRODUCTS

APRIL 11 DRAM32

• Attractive and long established traditionallicensed village Hotel including a retail outletadjacent to Castle of Mey, the late QueenMother’s home in Caithness

• Highly prominent trading location on busycross country route from Thurso to JohnO’Groats, providing a year round mixedturnover

• Traditional facilities retaining many attractivefeatures and character with modern upgrades

• Deceptively spacious subjects with circa 5acres of land with business developmentpotential (subject to planning consents)

• Includes 8 smart en-suite bedrooms andowners accommodation

York House,20 Church Street,Inverness IV1 1EDTel: 01463 236123

Email:info@asgcommercial.co.ukwww.asgcommercial.co.uk

Confidentialvaluations

without obligation

No Sale No Fee

Please contactPaul Hart on

07799 896931or Heather Moorhead

on 01463 236123

OFFERS OVER £265,000 (FREEHOLD)

CASTLE ARMS, MEY, CAITHNESS

• Excellent recently refurbishedcommercial hotel opportunity

• Prime central trading location amidstthe busy Highland town of Thurso

• Healthy income split across beverage,accommodation and catering sales

• Strong year-round demand drivingrising turnover and good profitability

• A highly successful and profitableself-employment opportunity

OFFERS OVER £560,000 (FREEHOLD)

HOLBORN HOTEL, THURSO

• Attractive and traditional Inn within thesplendour and idyllic beauty of the Isle of Skye

• Stunning coastal setting and popular tradinglocation between Portree and Dunvegan

• Good turnover and sound profitability fromestablished year-round trading

• 6 comfortable letting bedrooms plus owners’accommodation

• Development potential to add further bedroomsand chalets STPP

• The sale of The Lodge at Edinbane offers anopportunity to own a sound business set on thebeautiful Isle of Skye. With outstandingdevelopment potential, this purchase offers atruly desirable self-employment opportunity.

OFFERS OVER £475,000 (FREEHOLD)

LODGE AT EDINBANE, ISLE OF SKYE

• Rarely available, high quality, Highlandguest house with strong profitability

• Easy to operate “home and income”lifestyle opportunity, enjoying year-round trade

• Excellent, city centre trading location,in Inverness, capital of the Highlands

• Includes owner’s 2-bedroomaccommodation and 4 quality lettingbedrooms

OFFERS OVER £295,000 (FREEHOLD)

TORRIDON GUEST HOUSE,INVERNESS

• Outstanding year-round trading location within thisexquisite 18th Century planned village

• Mainly trading to wet sales with developmentopportunity to introduce food service and lettingaccommodation

• Substantial property with excellent riversideamenity space extending to about 1 acre

• Fishing rights on the River Ugie extending to 2 miles • Good owner’s accommodation extending to 2

bedrooms, lounge and kitchen • Letting suite with 2 bedrooms and en-suite facilities

OFFERS OVER £280,000 (FREEHOLD)

THE MORMOND INN,STRICHEN, FRASERBURGH

• Attractive landmark Hotel presented inexcellent condition providing a ‘home andincome’ lifestyle proposition

• Excellent trading figures from seasonallyadjusted trading activity with good profitconversion

• Sublime elevated location in the popularWest Coast town of Gairloch with views toSkye

• Includes 5 most comfortable en-suite lettingbedrooms plus 8 quality apartments

OFFERS OVER £475,000 (FREEHOLD)

MILLCROFT HOTEL,GAIRLOCH

• Excellent trading location with goodroadside frontage in picturesqueHelmsdale

• An outstanding business developmentopportunity

• A substantial smart well maintainedproperty with excellent tradingpotential

• Includes spacious accommodation forresident owners

OFFERS OVER £165,000 (FREEHOLD)

OTHIN HOUSE, HELMSDALE

• Operating as a Bar and Guest House with 5spacious letting bedrooms

• Elevated trading location with spectacular coastalviews in the popular seaside town of Macduff

• Set within large grounds with beer garden andlarge customer car park

• A solid “Home and Income” lifestyle opportunitywithin an easy-to-operate trading model

• Good owner’s accommodation on the third floorwith a double en-suite bedroom and dressingplus lounge/diner and domestic kitchen on thefirst floor

OFFERS OVER £315,000 (FREEHOLD)

PARK HOTEL, MACDUFF

NEW TO MARKET! NEW TO MARKET! NEW TO MARKET!

The Morgenrot Group has signed an exclusivity agreementwith Heineken to distribute, develop and grow theCruzcampo brand further in the UK. Morgenrot andHeineken will now be using this summer’s alfresco seasonas a launch pad to ramp up Cruzcampo draughtinstallations in the pub, bar, restaurant and club sectors.Graham Archibald, Morgenrot’s Senior National AccountManager comments: “The interest for Cruzcampo from theOn-trade has been phenomenal in the past 12 months andwe are excited to be working closely with Heineken as welook to drive awareness, listings and sales in order to makeit the principal Spanish lager in the UK.”

02

Finlandia® Vodka, part of the Bacardi Brown-Forman Brandsportfolio and known for its pristine quality, has unveiled its newpackaging design dubbed ‘melting ice’. The new bottle reflects the gentle ripples of ice moving from solidto liquid and evokes the crystal clarity of Finlandia® Vodka, which ismade from pure glacial spring water. Each of the Finlandia Fusion Flavours, which include Cranberry,Lime, Mango and Grapefruit, will also be packaged in the newdesign with the labeling incorporating the associated flavour colour. Known for its award-winning, progressive design work Finlandia isthe 2nd largest premium vodka brand in Europe and the stunningyet functional new bottle is set to improve visibility on shelf, whilstmaintaining the premium perception of the brand and its origins.

02FINLANDIA01CRUZCAMPO

01

DRAM APRIL 1133

CLASSIFIED ADVERTS

Sims Automatics Ltd46 Dalsholm RoadGlasgow G20 0TB

0141 946 0444

CHEF, JOE QUEEN RECEIVESLIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Joe Queen has a Lifetime Achievement Awardfor his outstanding contribution to the Scottishhospitality industry. The Hospitality IndustryTrust (HIT) Scotland presented himw with theaward at its annual industry dinner held lastmonth. The event raised around £44,000 tosupport HIT Scotland’s scholarshipprogramme.Chosen by panel of industry experts, theaward was given for Joe's work as formerpresident of the Federation of Chefs Scotlandand mentoring young chefs, many of whomnow run their own restaurants. He was alsorecognised for his involvement with theFutureChef competitions, Scottish CulinaryTeams, promoting cooking in schools and hispassion for Scottish produce. Now based inGlasgow, Joe works as the executive chef forHilton Hotels. He has previously held executivepositions at Thistle Hotels, Macdonald Hotel andworked for Disney in the USA.

APRIL 11DRAM34

DRAM DRINKS RETAILING AND MARKETINGPUBLISHED BY MEDIA WORLD LIMITEDUPPER FLOOR / FINNIESTON HOUSE / 1 THE STABLES YARD / 1103 ARGYLE STREET / GLASGOW / G3 8NDt. 0141 221 6965 e. dram@mail.com web. www.dramscotland.co.ukEditor: Susan Young • Chairman: Noel Young • Production Manager: James Devlin •Advertising Executives: Martin Cassidy, Yvonne McKeown, Gemma Livingston • Administration: Kate RobinsonPublished by Media World Ltd. Subscriptions: DRAM is available by subscription for all other qualified personsinvolved in the Scottish Licensed Trade at the rate of £48 per annum including the DRAM Yearbook.The publishers, authors and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions. Any transparencies orartwork will be accepted at owner’s risk. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced inany form without the written permission of the copyright holder and publisher, application for which should bemade to the publisher. Articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of thepublishers. © Media World Limited 2011.

Best Bar None Scotlandwinners: Janet Hoodrepresenting sponsorsBlackadder, is pictured centre,with Tickety Boos Pub, AbertayUniversity Union SpecialistEntertainment category, FatSams Nightclub, ALL Dundeeand Archibald Simpsons BarAberdeen.

The Scottish Cusquena and Rekorderligteam Sarah Mackie (above left) andAmanda Quinn, Miss Glasgow 2011,were out in force at the recent openingof Browns in Glasgow. The girls arepictured with Bob Taylor left, and TobyScourse, right, while Fiona Brown (neeSweeney) is also pictured. She is thecompany’s new national accountmanager.

BEST BARNONE, DUNDEE

ROUNDUP

See our websites: www.jagermeister.co.uk and www.jagermusic.co.ukFor all UK enquiries www.cellartrends.co.uk